Our old man perseus has been gettin really bad dandruff. Well, he's always had it, but it's been getting really bad lately, probably b/c of the heat. I was wondering if anyone knew what we could do to minimize it. We tried switching foods and not reall change in that, he drinks plently of water and is in otherwise good health, besies being old and crabby. It's just when i get the rare chance to brush him, the flakes get worse and then stuck in the comb. I would try rubbing him down w/ water to keep the skin not so dry but he's not too fond of water unless it's outta the bathroom faucet

Rub-downs with water are more likely to dry out his skin further...I wouldn't recommend it. I would ask your vet about a fatty acid/omega 3 supplement. It works from the inside out and can be a big help for dandruffy skin. You can usually pick these up from any pharmacy/health store, but I'd ask for a proper dose.

What kinds of foods have you tried him on? My Sam had dandruff all the time (especially at the base of her tail on her back) until I switched her off of Iams and onto Innova, a much better quality food. It only took a couple of months to see a huge difference, even the amount of hair that she shed was less. I would suggest trying something with lots of fish in it, or even better, no grains like Innova EVO or Orijen. My kitties are super soft and silky now!

Yup, what they said. The food makes all the difference. A higher quality food will combat skin problems in addition to supplements if you so desire. There are lots of fish oil supplements at pet food supply stores.

There are cat and dog friendly shampoos to remove dandruff. Unfortunately, for hydrophobes (those afraid of water) the best solution to dandruff is still medicated soap and water, followed by some type of water based emollient rinse.

I have yet to meet the dandruff stricken dude who pours vegetable oil on his head to treat dandruff, or maybe I did in university but have subsequently blocked it from my mind. Pets are the same: dandruff is just an accumulation of an outer layer of dead skin cells that are not being shed. Normal process of turnover, abnormal accumulation of scurf (thin flakes of dead epidermis shed from the surface of the skin). Bath time for Bonzo.

I have 3 cats, but only 1 has dandruff problems. She's already on a speacial diet due to wait and problems w/ UTIs, so I can't change her food. I brush her almost every other day because she has a very thick coat for being a short haired cat. I also give her a bath once a month, to help with the dandruff and to help her get rid of some of her excess hair. The vet says there is not anything else wrong with her, and it doesn't seem to bother her. Any suggestions?

Shadow has dandruff too - he's black and it really shows on him. I have tried to change his food - he is on Max Cat - and he absolutely refuses to eat anything but that! I'm sure it's the food that contributes to his dandruff but when he won't eat anything but that - what to do????

What's the specific food (and is it canned or dry?) that she's eating? How long has she been on it?

arm cat
She's on Eukanuba Adult Indoor Weight Control & Hairball Formula for Cats
dry food, she's been on this food for about 2 and a half years. My other 2 cats are on the Purina Cat Chow Indoor Formula, which seems to be working good for them. The oldest cat is a short hair black and white, and the youngest is long haired (brown and white.)

arm cat
She's on Eukanuba Adult Indoor Weight Control & Hairball Formula for Cats
dry food, she's been on this food for about 2 and a half years. My other 2 cats are on the Purina Cat Chow Indoor Formula, which seems to be working good for them. The oldest cat is a short hair black and white, and the youngest is long haired (brown and white.)

There is no reason you can't change all of your cat's food to something better. I'm going to be blunt, but both of the brands you're feeding are pretty bad and is no doubt the reason the one has dandruff. I'd even go so far as to say that if you don't change their food, you're going to end up with worse problems than just dandruff. Like diabetes, kidney/bladder/urinary tract disease, allergies, dental problems, obesity, or inflammatory bowel disease.

First of all, while there is no kibble that is actually good for cats (it's merely a human convenience, nothing more), the "weight control" and "indoor" formulas are particularly horrid for a carnivore. They have even more grains and carbohydrates than regular food (up to 50%), and cats should be eating very little or NO grains. It's the carb content of food that makes them fat in the first place. And also gives them diabetes and dental disease.

It's the extreme dryness of kibble (less than 10% moisture) that has enormous potential for causing all the kidney and urinary tract problems that cats are so prone to. They evolved in the desert getting most of their water needs met through the prey they eat (which are about 60-80% moisture). Consequently, their thirst drive is very low and by the time they're thirsty enough to drink, they're already dehydrated. A cat fed only kibble is chronically dehydrated, no matter how much water you see it drinking. This places enormous strain on the kidneys. It also results in very concentrated urine where crystal formation becomes a problem (blocking urinary tracts in males, causing bladder irritation and infection in females).

So what should you feed instead? WET FOOD!!! A good quality, low-carb and preferably grain-free canned food with minimal by-products (unless you want to be even more adventurous and make the leap to a raw diet - but that takes considerably more research). Something like Wellness, Nature's Variety, By Nature, Innova Evo 95% meat. Other good ones are Merrick, Precise, Eagle Pack, Natural Balance, and even some of the gluten-free Fancy Feast flavours if you need help convincing your cats that canned food is edible.

There is some really great reading on the feline diet at this website, with tips on how to transition your cats to wet food. Also this link goes into more detail on why dry food makes cats fat in the first place. Please do all your cats a favour and feed them something that helps them thrive, not merely survive.

I have 2 cats they both eat meow mix my 2 year old female has bad dandruff bad. and my 1 year old hardly none would useing olive oil on their food help babygirl? they both eat and drink out of same dishes

I have 2 cats they both eat meow mix my 2 year old female has bad dandruff bad. and my 1 year old hardly none would useing olive oil on their food help babygirl? they both eat and drink out of same dishes

I use salmon oil on top of my cats wet food. Olive oil is okay but I'd rather use salmon oil. Meow Mix isn't very good anyways.

You should try using a new brand of food just for the heck of it, and brush your dandruffy cat more often. You can use waterless bath foams and wipes to help add some moisture to her fur in a safe and easy way. Blue Buffalo has foam kind that you rub into the fur, brush the cat and then wipe her down.